Kevin Richardson has hinted that he’s fallen out with his cousin and fellow Backstreet Boys singer Brian Littrell.
On Jan. 8 – two days after the U.S. Capitol was stormed by pro-Trump thugs – Littrell invited fans via Twitter to join him on the now-defunct social media platform Parler, which was popular with the alt-right and white supremacists.
“BTLittrell come find me… haha like where’s Waldo,” tweeted Littrell, 45.
On Wednesday, Richardson, 49, tweeted links to two articles about the damage caused by conspiracy theorists, including one titled: “I Lost a Best Friend to QAnon.” He captioned it: “Interesting read…”
Interesting read... ✌❤️ https://t.co/WrLClXCFT4
— Kevin Richardson (@kevinrichardson) January 13, 2021
QAnon is a right-wing group promoting bizarre conspiracy theories that has publicly supported U.S. president Donald Trump and his barrage of lies.
Littrell is a self-described “Christian artist” and a vocal Trump supporter. In one group interview, he asked “Is it cool or not cool to like the president?” and Richardson responded “It’s not cool.” Littrell added: “I think it’s cool.”
KEVIN SCOTT RICHARDSON FOR PRESIDENT https://t.co/6ETmUdvRmg
— melissa planty (@melissaplanty) January 14, 2021
Richardson took a five-year break from Backstreet Boys beginning in 2006. In a statement at the time, he explained: "It was a very tough decision for me but one that was necessary in order to move on with the next chapter of my life."
Some BSB fans have expressed concerns about Littrell’s beliefs causing a rift in the group.
“It could affect the future of this fandom and the behaviour of people at your concerts,” tweeted @bsbbecca of Ontario. “He has now publicly opened the door for division in a fandom that’s always been united.”